


Here he comes to save the day

by bookaddict43



Category: Firefly
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-12
Updated: 2009-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-02 04:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookaddict43/pseuds/bookaddict43
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Mal/Jayne ficathon at the Livejournal comm shiny_hats. Prompt #71 <i>Instead of Zoe spearheading the rescue on Niska's station for Wash, Jayne does it for Mal.</i> Original dialogue from War Stories is used in places. Thanks to ladytalon1 for the title suggestion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here he comes to save the day

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: PG for a serious lack of sex  
> Disclaimer: Firefly and all its related characters are the property of Joss Whedon  
> Word count: 2165

Jayne munched his apple as he listened to the end of Zoe’s story. He watched carefully from under his lashes as Mal entered the room and picked up an apple. The Captain were liking his apology ok, but the man wasn’t speaking to him unless he needed to.

He still couldn’t figure it out. It was the whiny doctor and his sis Jayne had sold out; and even if he was feeling kind of guilty about that now, he’d never had a notion on it harmin’ the Captain.

Jayne shrugged uncomfortably. He’d been more fixed on protecting the Captain than harming him for awhile now. Not that the man ever noticed or appreciated it. Taking the little man on this assignment now – Jayne didn’t mind being passed over for Zoe. That one could hold her own in anythin. But for Wash? The pilot was alright; the best flyer he’d ever seen, but as protection for Mal? They may as well have sent Kaylee. And Mal needed protection. His plans never worked and he gorramn nearly always got hurt. One day he’d get so hurt he’d be dead – and then where’d they be?

He’d managed to keep his mind off Mal and what might be happening planetside pretty well while in his bunk, but now he was getting anxious again. Lifting weights with the Shepherd helped to stop him staring at the clock; and Jayne’s attention was even more diverted when ‘Nara and her client came into the bay. His mind immediately went south, imagining all the pretty things they did with each others bodies, and he felt the familiar tightening in his balls.

“I’ll be in my bunk,” he grunted to the Shepherd, and started toward the passageway.

“Jayne – grab your weapon,” Zoe’s voice stopped him.

“Why? What’s goin’ on?” As if he didn’t know.

Jayne’s hopes sank during the conversation and just about disappeared when they got to the drop and found bodies lying all over.

None of the bodies were theirs and Jayne grunted with relief. From the tracks on the ground, Mal had gone without a fight. He frowned and followed the trail with his eyes. “We ain’t gonna find them here, they’re off planet already.” He pointed to the tracks.

Zoe and the Shepherd nodded, they knew what had made those marks. “Fast burn rocket shuttle,” the second in command supplied.

“Craft like that wouldn’t commonly be part of a ship. More likely we’re looking at –“

“A space station,” Zoe broke in. “I know who’s got them.”

“I don’t get it. Who do ya think’s got them?” Jayne asked as they headed back to the mule. He weren’t worried, but that was some pretty good ordinance that’d been used. That meant professionals; real fighters had the Captain and Wash.

“Niska,” Zoe replied.

“Niska?” both Jayne and the Shepherd’s voice rose.

“Who else has a space station, a grudge against the Captain and money enough to pursue it?”

“But ya gave the money back,” Jayne was bewildered. Mal’s gorramn nobility irritated the hell outta him sometimes. They’d worked hard for the coin and he’d given it and the drugs back. It didn’t make no sense.

“I don’t think the money is what Niska’s bothered about.”

“Revenge?” the Shepherd suggested.

“Maybe,” Zoe shrugged.

“So what are we gonna do?” Jayne didn’t see the surprised looks his companions cast at him. “I’m guessing ya won’t want to be leaving them there?”

Zoë’s face went blank as she imagined her Wash and the Captain in Niska’s clutches. “You’re guessing right.”

****************

“So when do I take the money?” Jayne asked as they all stood in the cargo bay.

“You?”

“Yeah,” Jayne was bewildered. Ever since the job on the train, he wasn’t often left in charge of the ship. He lifted, he carried, and he did all the gorramn messages. “I do the deliveries.”

“Not this time,” Zoe shook her head.

“Why not?”

“I’ve got a better chance than you Jayne,” Zoe kept her voice calm. “I’m second in command, and I’m betting Niska knows that. He’d be insulted if someone else goes; we can’t afford for him to get whimsical with the Captain or Wash.” She turned to the others, “We’ve got to have something to offer him. I’m putting in what’s left of my share from the Ariel job.”

Jayne shrugged and went to get his money. Zoe had a point. That Niska was a strange one, who knew what would upset him? Also Jayne weren’t sure if he could keep his temper in that situation, being diplomatic weren’t exactly his strong suit. If he started shooting at the wrong moment, Mal and Wash could wind up just as dead. So he’d let Zoe go without arguing any more and then spent the next two hours waiting nervously for her to return.

He covered his nervousness real good, by going about business as usual; cleaning his guns and sharpening his knives and such. But he like everyone else was up on the catwalk when the shuttle docked and waiting for the door to open.

“What the hell?” Jayne asked as Zoe and a shaky Wash came through the door. He looked behind them for the familiar grouchy form…

“Where’s the Captain?” Kaylee’s voice was anxious.

“He ain’t coming right now.” The tone of Zoe’s voice had every eye looking at the object she handed Simon.

Jayne took one look at the ear lying in the doctor’s hand and strode off down the passageway. He weren’t against torture to get information or something, but if he wanted revenge, he killed folks; plain and simple. Cutting a man’s ear off, when he’d given the money back and all, that wasn’t right. And there was no way in hell he as gonna let Mal stay there a moment longer than he had to.

He jumped down into his bunk and gathered an armful of weaponry and took it to the dining area where his knives and other guns were still laid out. Methodically he started checking through all his pieces, deciding what to take and what to leave behind.

“Jayne,” Zoe looked at the array of weapons spread out on the table. “We have to plan this out some.”

“While we’re planning, Mal could be dying.” He picked up a few grenades and attached them to his belt.

“I already told you, Niska’s gonna make this last as long as possible. Going in there by yourself is suicide. It won’t take long to organise a workable plan.”

“Just got a wave from Inara,” Kaylee interrupted as she came down the steps. “No luck with the Councillor…” she turned to Zoe. “What’s he doing?”

“Fixing to get himself killed.”

“I’m gonna get the Captain.”

“Oh good!” she turned to Zoe. “Can he do that?”

“No, we need to plan more.”

“We ain’t got time for that,” Jayne was getting’ impatient. Niska had already cut off Mal’s ear, who knew what else he might do before they got there?

“I hate to say it lambie-toes,” Wash butted in. “But Jayne’s right. We’ve got to go now.”

“Its suicide,” she shook her head.

****************

Jayne stood at the cargo bay doors waiting for them to open. He was lucky Wash and Kaylee had come through for him. His plan hadn’t consisted of much more than getting there and shooting everyone till he found Mal. But Wash had done all sorts of piloting things and Kaylee was organising something to open the door. Even the Shepherd had come to the party and had rigged up the mule to explode as soon as someone shot at it.

“Kaylee how’s it going?” he asked.

“I’m pretty sure this will pop the airlock doors, if Wash can make a seal on his first try…”

“There’s a lot of ifs about this plan,” Zoe strolled up, armed to the teeth and Jayne gave her a small relieved grin.

“Coulda stayed behind.”

“Coulda,” she smiled back as Wash came running into the cargo bay.

“Okay,” Jayne hefted his guns into fighting position. “If it moves, shoot it.”

“Unless it’s the Captain,” Kaylee reminded.

“Unless it’s the Captain,” Zoe confirmed, following Jayne to the door as they docked at the skyplex with a clang.

Kaylee and the Doc threw their smoke grenades and Book started the mule with a roar. The return fire hit the tanks strapped to the mule and they exploded, killing everyone in front of them. Jayne takin’ his cue, stepped forward, pistol raised and shot the first man who appeared through the smoke.

They fought their way down the corridor, firing at everything that moved. “Ow,” Zoe sagged against a doorjamb.

Jayne fired his gun into the man that shot her, and then taking a quick glance to make sure she was only grazed; continued down the hall guns blazin’. Wash and Zoe followed, Zoe callin’ out directions as they went till they got to Niska’s office where Jayne could see some chùsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo trying to choke his Captain.

Mal’s face was all bruised and even from this distance he could see the blood streamin’ down the man’s chest. Without thinking Jayne raised his gun and fired. The hun dan’s brain exploded and he went tumbling down the shaft.

The Captain, all fight gone from him, crumpled to the ground and they all rushed forward. Jayne growled at Zoe and bent wordlessly to pick him up. Sliding his arms under the broken body, he stalked back to the shuttle as fast as he could. He was burning to go find Niska and rip his guts out through his nose, but revenge would have to wait; Mal need doctoring right away.

****************  
“He’ll be fine Jayne,” Simon told the hovering mercenary. “I’ve re-attached the ear and as long as he doesn’t fiddle with it, it’ll heal.”

“What about the rest?” Jayne looked doubtfully at the sheet covered shape in the room. “You said his heart stopped or something.”

“It did stop. It’s no wonder considering what was done to him.” Simon checked the Captain’s vitals. “But he’s a healthy man, despite the injuries he routinely attracts, and there won’t be any lingering weakness.”

“You sure?”

“Yes I am,” the Doctor glanced at him in a considering way. “It was a good idea going after him when you did. If Niska had a chance to inflict more hurt, Mal’s prognosis wouldn’t be so good. As it is, he’ll be up and complaining by this afternoon.”

“Good.” Jayne turned and went to his bunk and fell asleep.

****************

Jayne woke up and stretched as the smell of garlic wafted into the room. A good feed would go down real well and get him back on an even keel and not thinkin’ ‘bout Mal no more.

“Now that’s downright unsettling,” he remarked dryly, seein’ the Captain and Zoe trying to kiss each other.

Walking down the steps to the dining area, he certainly wasn’t prepared for the relieved feeling that flooded through him when he saw Mal teasing Wash just like usual.

Wash wasn’t taking it though; he grabbed Zoe by the arm and led her out the door. “We’ll be in our bunk.”

Jayne watched as the man slapped his wife on the ass and shook his head. The pilot had more stones than they gave him credit for. The smell of garlic hit him again and distracted him. “Hey,” he slapped the Captain lightly on the chest. “Free soup.”

Mal rubbed his chest absently and sat down at the table, his leg resting up against the bulk of Jayne’s.

“I hear you were anxious about me,” he remarked, watching his mercenary inhale the soup.

“I weren’t exactly anxious.”

“No?” Mal pushed. “As I recall, last time I got taken you were all manner of eager to leave me behind and take over the ship. What was different this time?”

“Zoe was here, she’s kinda invested in ya bein’ Captain.”

“That she is. That don’t explain the anxiety though.”

“I already told you I weren’t exactly anxious.” Jayne shifted away slightly.

“Then what were you?

“I was worried,” Jayne burst out. “You ain’t paid me for the last job yet.”

“Yes I did. You bought those apples to bribe everyone with. Remember?”

“Oh,” Jayne looked down at his plate.

“Yes. They were delicious by the way.” Mal moved his leg back to its original position and laid his hand on Jayne’s arm.

“Ya liked them?” Jayne glanced up at him hopefully.

“Liked what they were implying,” Mal qualified, giving him a half-smile.

Jayne frowned perplexedly and stared at Mal’s hand which was rubbing small circles on his arm. “What’d that be?”

“That you’re finally realising you’re part of the crew.”

“Part of the crew,” Jayne echoed. “It was you I was trying to bribe, not no-one else.”

“I know that,” Mal leaned forward till they were nose to nose. “I was just waiting for you to admit it."


End file.
